John T. Campbell (Jason) passed away in his home in Glenwood Springs on November 14, 2018. Jason was born in Troy, New York, on May 15, 1948. He grew up in North Caldwell, New Jersey, where he excelled at track, played soccer and ran cross country in high school. He matriculated at Bucknell University in 1966 where he met friends who would remain so throughout Jason’s life. Jason moved to Aspen in the winter of 1970-’71 and shortly found employment in the kitchen at Andre’s restaurant. In 1972 he began his career in the construction trade working on the Caribou Condominiums at the top of Monarch St. His skill as a carpenter and builder made him a valuable commodity in the local construction workforce, working for Peter Louthis, Jack Wilkie, Frank Peters, and Lee Pardee. He also was employed by Pitkin County Road and Bridge where he managed small projects for Pat Dobie, then the County Engineer. In 1995 he moved to Austin Texas where another former Aspenite (and Bucknell alumni) was engaged in building homes. Jason teamed up with Bob Justman (Justy), to build multiple affordable single family homes in the Austin area. These homes were known for the creative individual touches that Jason put into each home.
After an 8 year partnership in Austin, Jason relocated to the Florida Keys to build his own spec house on Key Largo. Completing this project and selling it would provide capital for more such enterprises or for his retirement. However, circumstances intervened. Just as he was completing his spec house, his father, who had retired and had moved from New Jersey to South Carolina, began to decline healthwise. His wife, Jason’s mother, had passed away and Roger (Jason’s dad) had no one to care for him. Jason left Florida and went to care for his father in South Carolina. He graciously did this until his father passed 2 years later.
Jason returned to Key Largo to complete his spec house project, but by that time his plan of selling his spec house and using the capital for future projects had vanished when the housing market collapsed in the recession of 2009. Jason finished the project only to sell it at a loss. Meanwhile his aging body was beginning to deteriorate which made doing manual labor impossible for him. He had also contacted fibromyalgia, a condition which kept him in constant pain.
Because of his history in the valley, Jason was able to obtain an HUD sponsored apartment in Glenwood Springs and moved there in 2014. He lived there until his passing in November.
He is survived by his brother Peter Campbell of Basalt, Peter’s son and daughter in law, Evan and Kassie Campbell, and grandson Isaac. Also sister Jane Campbell, Jane’s husband Ted Zilius, and their daughter Elise Zilius, who live in Vermont.